We connected fairly early in their pregnancy (earlier than when most of my clients hire me anyways 😂) and they were seriously so awesome.

Sammy was SO about all things birth and educating herself with ALLLLLL of her options and her husband Luke was so freaking supportive of everything. I loved their connection immediately and knew their birth was going to be fire 🔥

A few days before labor.

Sammy had been having Braxton Hicks surges for a few days leading up her birth. She was texting me with questions and making sure things were “normal.” Most of the time it was “make sure you’re staying hydrated and if they get more intense or change their rhythm let me know.”

This went on for about 3 days or so.

And honestly, when bodies are working this hard for this long before going into labor, I actually worry that I may miss the birth because sometimes they just come so fast after events like this! I’ve seen it before!

labor begins.

I woke up early to get ready for our third prenatal (we were going to walk on the beach and just get out of the house) but as I’m literally walking out of my house at like 7:30 am to load up my car and go, she texts me saying her surges had changed and felt like today was the day.

I asked her if she still wanted to walk on the beach or just wanted to wait since I would probably be joining her later in the day…she opted to wait for me to join her later.

I ended up joining her about 2:30 pm and she was rocking and rolling at home. Her husband Luke began cooking soup for them and I stayed with her in her bathroom, then her bedroom, then the living room, then her bathroom, then her bedroom again (because it’s all about a balance of movement and rest).

I stayed in contact with their midwife Allison at Tourmaline Birth and Wellness Center since Sammy wanted to go in but we wanted to make sure it wasn’t too early (being sent home because you’re not far enough along seriously blows).

And at about 7 pm we finally left for the birth center.

tourmaline.

When we got to the room, Sammy was immediately adjusted by Dr. Steph who works in conjunction with the birth center (her office is literally next door). Once Dr. Steph worked her magic, Sammy’s waters released right there as she was laying on the bed! Chiropractic is AMAZING. Sammy was also checked to see how far she had progressed and to make sure she could stay in the center, and she was told 7 cm so Allison immediately began running the tub water for her.

With every surge she needed counter pressure on her lower back. Wherever she was, once a surge began, someone needed to be doing counter pressure.

Like at home, she was on the bed, in the tub for a little bit, then the toilet, then went for a walk down the hall, and then back in the bed. It seemed like baby was asynclytic (their head isn’t directly in the pelvis but a little off to the side) so we were all trying things to get baby into the optimal position (and to hopefully relive some back pain).

pushing.

Sammy pushed hard. It was slow process to allow for baby to stretch the tissues and make room. When baby’s head was born the midwife felt for a cord to make sure if there was one, that it wasn’t too tight. What she found instead was a hand by baby’s face, which also makes sense for the slower pushing stage. And because of that extra width of baby coming down the birth canal (a head AND a hand) the midwives had Sammy flip over on all fours into the “running man” position to have gravity and a wider pelvis help. Within a minute baby was born at 12:40 am!

All 8 lbs and 19 in of HIM (it was a boy)!

He had a SUPER short cord (like possibly the shortest I’ve ever seen) so he didn’t even make it past Sammy’s belly button. They had her immediately sit back on the bed so she could see him and he just chilled in her lap until the cord stopped pulsating.

Luke then cut the cord and snuggled baby Archer so Sammy could birth the placenta.

I left the birth center with her placenta in tow (she wanted to encapsulate her placenta) about 3:00 am or so while Sammy was snuggled in bed, both her and Luke eating, and baby Archer breastfeeding 💕

A perfect picture of flowing oxytocin.